ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · bark · hand · ground · safe · plane · racket · drill

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. hand — help
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hand — in cards
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — the tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bark — to shout
  14. drill — army training
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ground — the earth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — a position
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com